First Encounter WithGod's Presence What first comes to mind when we think of the divine indwelling? When I was a teenager, I used to ask myself the same question. I had already known that God had a plan for me and that I had a Guardian Angel. These truths were part of the training I received as a young Catholic teenager growing up in a small Southwest Louisiana town called Lake Arthur, La. There were only 3000 people in my entire hometown and that seemed to be quite a few people to me then. I frequently would reflect upon the experience of having a Guardian Angel so near to me. Also, I devoutly prayed to Mary the Mother of God, from time to time. When my conscience bothered me for doing something bad at school or to my parents, I would go to confession. These seemed to be small steps along the way of discovering the presence of God within me.